Arrest made in Herndon armed robbery

Herndon police said a suspect has been apprehended in the case of an owner of a Mac Pro laptop who was robbed at gunpoint Dec. 27 by someone he met through online site Craigslist.

Police said the meeting to sell the laptop took place in the 1000 block of Elden Street.

The laptop owner arrived at the predetermined location and time only to be robbed of his laptop at gunpoint. The suspect fled the area and was never heard from again.

Herndon detectives conducted an intensive investigation and identified the subject as 25-year-old Mohamed Darseidia of Sterling. On Feb. 12, Darseidia was charged with robbery and the Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony. He is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detection Center on no bond.

One injured in intentionally set Lorton restaurant fire

Fairfax County fire officials say a fire in a Lorton restaurant was intentionally set.

Firefighters responded to a commercial fire about 10:30 a.m. Feb. 6 in the Lorton area of Fairfax County. The restaurant, Sub Shop, is located on 9504 Richmond Highway in a shopping center.

Firefighters said they encountered heavy black smoke coming from the front and rear of the one-story structure upon arrival. Firefighters conducted an aggressive fire attack from the front and rear of the structure and quickly brought the fire under control. Fire damage was contained to the restaurant, but some adjacent structures received minor smoke damage. One adult was transported by ambulance to the Washington Hospital Burn Center with non-life threatening injuries. There were no other injuries.

Damage is estimated at $100,000.

The fire was intentionally set, according to fire investigators. Fire investigators and the Fairfax County Police Department are investigating and seeking the person or persons responsible. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Fire Marshal’s Office at 703-691-2131, and ask for the duty investigator.

Fairfax man indicted for child pornography

Douglas Lee Payne Jr., 31, of Fairfax has been indicted by a federal grand jury on child exploitation related charges.

Payne was indicted Feb. 6 on one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. He also faces one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; one count of attempted enticement of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life; and one count of attempted travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct, which carries a maximum of 30 years in prison, if convicted.

During the investigation of a Fairfax County probation violation in December 2011, evidence was discovered of communications between Payne and a minor victim in Indiana, according to the indictment and other court documents. Through text messages and Skype chats, Payne asked the minor victim for nude images and instructed her on how to pose. Payne had at least one child pornography image of the minor victim, which she had sent to him. Payne and the minor victim also had conversations about Payne going to Indiana to visit a cousin and that he would stop to see the minor victim and have sex with her on his way home. In addition, Payne had other child pornography images in his possession. On Dec. 28, 2011, Payne was on his way to Indiana when he was instructed to come home for a meeting with his Fairfax County probation officer.

Man struck by train in North Springfield

On Feb. 7, police responded to a report of a 64-year-old man struck by a train west of the Backlick Road overpass. About 7 p.m. an Amtrak train was travelling west just west of the Backlick Road overpass, when it struck and killed Richard Anderson of the North Springfield area. Detectives from the Crash Reconstruction Unit responded to investigate and do not suspect foul play. The investigation continues.